The Forth Time
by BetterDeadThanAlone
Summary: Chapter 1: Three times, they are mistaken for a couple. The forth time, Sasuke doesn't want it to be a mistake anymore - and neither does Sakura. Four-shot, each chapter dedicated to a new pairing. SasuSaku NaruHina ShikaIno NejiTen.
1. Couple

This is intended to be a four-parter starting with Sasuke/Sakura, then Naruto/Hinata, moving on to Shikamaru/Ino and lastly Neji/Tenten. They can all be read on their own, but they take place in the same hypothetical future universe, so to speak.

Enjoy.

* * *

_Three times Sakura and Sasuke are mistaken for a couple. The forth time, neither of them wants it to be a mistake._

**Couple**

_The first time, it was only proof their disguise worked._

If they hadn't been on a mission, Sakura might have enjoyed her evening a lot more. She and Sasuke were both dressed in exquisite, tailored kimonos in matching fabrics. The midnight-blue silk with silver details set off Sasuke's pale complexion and dark eyes, making him even more handsome than usual. On Sakura the dark fabric made her skin look almost luminous. Her pink hair was done up in an elaborate braid with a silver comb keeping it in place. Together they made a truly striking pair at the lavish gala they were attending.

That was, incidentally, also the point.

Their mission was to extract the whereabouts of a diamond-smuggler, from the son of said smuggler. The son, Yamato Kaneko, was a notorious snob and playboy; he was known for his luxurious parties, galas and banquettes, and invitations to his events were always well-sought after. The Hokage of Konoha had managed, by unknown means, to get two invitations. Sakura was chosen, to her utmost chagrin, for her unusual colouring which was bound to attract the bachelor's attention; it was said he "collected" exotic beauties like an old lady might collect porcelain cats. Sasuke had volunteered to be her back-up – he had argued he only went along because he could blend in amongst the rich and powerful with ease. That Neji Hyuga, who would have blended in just as well as Sasuke, had offered to accompany Sakura on the mission too, he had pointedly ignored.

"There he is," Sasuke said under his breath, and took a sip of his water; the glass was pointed discreetly towards an archway leading out to an enormous garden, from which their target had just stepped through. Yamato was a young man with fair hair and tanned skin, he was both taller and broader than the average civilian. He walked with his head held high, a superior smirk on his face. He seated himself in a large sofa near the drink table, and immediately he was flanked by a dozen men and women, all craving his attention. In Sakura's opinion he wasn't as handsome as she had been told, he was too... _Supercilious_, for her taste. She glanced at her dark-haired companion next to her and hid a small smile. Then again, she might be slightly biased when it came to men.

Sakura took a firmer grip on Sasuke's arm to indicate she'd understood what he'd said and, to be honest with herself, to feel nearer him. If only for a second.

"It's very hot here, don't you think?" Sakura fanned her face with her unoccupied hand.

"Another drink, perhaps then?" Sasuke led them smoothly through the crowd. When they were ten feet from the sofa, he stopped and withdrew his arm from her grasp. "Why don't you wait here, while I get us those drinks?"

Sakura nodded with a grateful smile. She watched him walk away for a second, before she curiously looked over at her target. She took care to seem as serene and innocent as possible, she knew her make-up was done up in her favour; enlarging her eyes and plumping her lips. Everything to lure this person in. She caught Yamato's eye, seemingly by accident. Their gaze held just a moment too long before she averted her eyes, looking down at her feet bashfully. Sakura did her best to channel Hinata when Naruto unexpectedly flashed the younger girl one of his sunniest smiles. Too bad she couldn't blush on command. Not that she thought it would be needed from what she had heard about this particular subject.

Sure enough. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Yamato Kaneko excuse himself from his company and make his way over. He stopped just a bit too close, nothing overly noticeable – except by Sakura, of course.

"What is a beautiful young lady doing all by herself an evening like this? On my party nonetheless; I must be a most terrible host!"

Sakura looked up into the clear blue eyes of the infamous bachelor, a small flirtatious smile placed on her lips.

"Oh, I'd say my evening is looking better and better."

Yamato chuckled. "You don't say."

"I must say this is very impressive," Sakura made a vague, sweeping gesture with her arm. "I've never seen such a big house before." She had. Several times. There were a dozen of them in Konoha alone. "You must love it here!"

"The mansion has been in my family for three generations," he answered amicably. "I'd prefer something smaller myself actually. It gets awfully cold in the winter, and too hot in the summer – but I can't deny it has its charms." He inclined his head in her direction. "Like now, for instance."

"Oh, stop it!" Sakura giggled and swatted his arm playfully. "It's not polite to flirt with a girl without introducing yourself first, you know!"

"I _am_ a most terrible host!" He smiled widely, obviously enjoying himself. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "Yamato Kaneko, at your service."

"Suki Kimura." Sakura lied smoothly, with a smile of her own. "But you don't mean Kaneko, as in Takao Kaneko surely?"

"My father," Yamato's smile slipped for a split second; anyone less observant wouldn't have noticed. But Sakura did and she was, against her will, intrigued. "How do you know him?"

"Oh no, I don't! But..." She lowered her voice. Time to lie until her tongue turned black. She and Sasuke had done careful research. "My grandfather worked in a mine up in Snow."

Yamato nodded carefully, his smile still in place, but with an almost dangerous glint in his eyes. "I see."

"He died last year; a cave-in. Your father sent his condolences. Or, his office did I suppose," Sakura chuckled ruefully. "I think your father is a tiny bit more important and busy than my grandfather ever was. He probably didn't even know my grandfather's name."

"Important and busy." Yamato snorted. "Truest words ever spoken. He is away on business in Earth Country as we speak, otherwise I would have introduced you – it would do him good to hear what his company actually costs others. Not just see his own profit."

Earth Country. Bingo! She shifted her stance slightly to the right – the signal to Sasuke to come over in approximately ten minutes.

"I take it you are not on the best of terms with your father?" Sakura asked cautiously.

"To be honest, I'd rather not talk about him." His smile was back in full force, the dangerous glint from his eyes gone. "Too dull and serious – it doesn't suit me."

"What would you like to talk about then?" She looked up at him playfully.

"Actually, I have a proposal to-"

"Yamato?" A feminine voice said from behind them. Yamato spun around quickly, and Sakura suddenly became witness to something she did not expect at all. His eyes softened as they rested on the woman who had spoken. Sakura turned to face the new-comer too. The woman was very short and over-all tiny. She had light brown hair that fell in waves over her shoulders, small almond eyes. She was cute, in a very girl-next-door way, but nothing special – she shouldn't have attracted Yamato in the least, according to all the reports and research, and yet...

"Mimi, I thought you weren't coming?"

"Well, someone must keep an eye on you," she rolled her eyes in good-nature. "When I don't, you just butt in where you shouldn't. Like now." The young woman named Mimi turned to Sakura. "I apologize on Yamato's behalf if your boyfriend took offence in his behaviour. He really is quite harmless, it's not your fault you would make an excellent model for my exhibition. Your features, and not to mention your beautiful hair, are exquisite! It's like you were made for oil-paintings! The piece would be marvelous!"

Sakura blinked confused, and to be honest, scared.

"Mimi, you are frightening her – this is exactly why _I _scout for girls and not you!" He said sternly, but Sakura could tell it was only for show. He was clearly amused.

"Oops," Mimi laughed and blushed a delicate shade of pink. "I sometimes come on a bit strong I've heard, but if you are interested in sitting for one of my paintings I would truly love to have you." She gave Sakura a card with her general information. "Now, we will leave you to your date, he has been glaring daggers at Yamato for the last twenty minutes at least – honestly, I've told you to _not _upset nor tease the girls' dates a million times!"

"Thank you for your time, Suki," Yamato said and kissed Sakura's hand once again. He glanced behind her. "I think I will take my leave before your boyfriend kicks my sorry ass across the room. Enjoy the rest of your evening." He offered his arm to Mimi who took it seemingly without thought. They walked off leaving Sakura utterly bewildered. She heard Mimi chide Yamato for the last kiss on the hand, and Yamato's laugh in response. He never took his eyes off of her small frame.

"Huh." Who would have thought?

"What?" Sasuke came up behind her. He gave her a glass of water and none-too-gently placed her hand in the crook of his arm.

"Nothing," Sakura said with a smile. "Sometimes people surprise you, that's all."

She saw Sasuke give Yamato's retreating back a dark glare through slightly narrowed eyes. "Hn."

For some reason that single syllable warmed her heart tremendously.

* * *

_The second time, it was only because Naruto was running late._

"Where _is_ Naruto?" Sakura asked for the third time. She was annoyed and not that good at hiding it. Her fingers drummed on the surface of the restaurant table, her eyes constantly roaming the crowded room for a sight of the blonde. "He is almost half an hour late and I'm starving!"

"He probably fell asleep doing paper work," Sasuke said with a snort. "We might as well order without him."

"Yeah, you're right. He only has himself to blame if we're finished before he shows up!"

Sasuke expertly signalled to a waitress for the menu. A flustered and slightly haggard-looking middle-aged woman came to their table. She placed a menu in front of Sasuke. "I'm sorry, but we hardly have any menus left, is it okay if you split one? Again, I am so sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, no, it's fine," Sakura said with a wave of her hand, she scooted over closer to Sasuke so she could read too.

The waitress chuckled and gave them a fond smile. "Young couples like you never do seem to complain when presented with an excuse for cuddling. To be young and in love again...!" The woman walked off before Sakura had a chance to sputter out a protest, her cheeks flaming red from the implication. She moved, utterly embarrassed, a couple of inches from Sasuke's side. She was painfully aware of how close she had plastered herself at him, and it hadn't even been intentional! She hadn't given it a second thought, at all. Sasuke must have thought she was really-

"You won't be able to read from over there," Sasuke said, without looking up from the menu. "I thought you were hungry?"

Sakura studied his profile carefully; his strong features were their usual emotionless ones, except... Was there a pink hue to his ears?

She gave him such a radiant smile he must have been able to feel it; he tilted his head ever so slightly in her direction and gave her a tiny smile of his own, his eyes never leaving the folder in his hands.

"I am starving, actually." She placed herself right next to him again, their sides touching, her embarrassment completely forgotten.

Across the room, a middle-age, hopeless romantic sighed wistfully. She'd give them a couple more minutes before taking their order. She didn't want to rob them this small moment.

* * *

_The third time, it was only due to the intimate place of Sasuke's injury._

"Honestly, how did you even manage this?" Sakura shook her head, exasperated. "I'd expect this from Naruto, but not from_ you_, Sasuke."

"It was Naruto's fault," he growled though gritted teeth. "He obviously thought he was funny."

"Why am I not surprised?" Sakura sighed. She had a feeling Naruto injured Sasuke in those particular places on purpose, just to embarrass his two team mates as much as possible. "Well, I need to see the extent of the injuries, so... Take off your shirt and pants." She spun around and picked up his medical chart, eyeing through it mostly as an excuse for _not_ observing him while he undressed. This was awkward enough as it was. When she got a hold of Naruto...! Because honestly, how big where the chances that one kunai would literally be stuck in Sasuke's inner thigh and another would slice open his pectorals, making a full undressing necessary?

She looked up and averted her eyes just as quickly again. Sasuke's chiselled pale chest and his equally muscular thighs and upper arms was a sight she had not been entirely prepared for. She was relieved (with an odd mixture of disappointment, but she suppressed that peculiar feeling before it got a real chance to root itself in her brain) that the kunai was in-bedded in his upper thigh and not _higher, _and he therefore got to keep his underwear on at least. A treacherous voice inside her head whispered he, thank Kami, would be in no danger of erectile dysfunction this way, either.

_ "_Great!" Sakura said, a tad too shrill to be considered casual. She cleared her throat and kicked herself tremendously for reverting back to her pathetic useless Sasuke-worshipping days. She was a grown woman in her early twenties, _and _a jounin, dammit! _Get a grip, Sakura, be professional. _It wasn't like this was the first time she had seen him in a state of undress; being teammates for the last four years, not counting the year when they had been twelve, it was inevitable to catch a glimpse of skin every now and then. She inhaled deeply, only once, before bending closer to examine the wounds. "Well, it doesn't look too serious at least, no internal organ damage, no bones broken, only flesh-wounds. Give me a couple of minutes and you are free to go."

Sasuke grunted something incomprehensible Sakura interpreted as consent. She quickly healed his chest wound with expertise; her hand not even lingering longer than strictly necessary nor any closer. On the whole she was proud of herself.

"There!" She said with a smile. "It won't even scar."

And now for the more awkward bit... To gain full accessibility and visage she needed to literally put her face in between his legs. Awkward did not even cover it. Sasuke's stone-face did not help matters either. Sakura could tell he went for indifference, but unfortunately he managed to look more constipated than cool; his neck was too strained for a completely relaxed posture.

She sat herself on a chair and bent forward to easier extract the kunai with minimal damage to his muscles. A low hiss in pain was the only sound heard from her patient.

The door suddenly flung open.

"Hey, Sakura, Tsunade said you'd help... – OH MY GOD!"

Startled Sakura straightened quickly and turned to the doorway where a bug-eyed Tenten stood with her mouth hanging open. "Tenten-"

"I am so sorry! So, so sorry! I had no idea, Sakura, why haven't you...? Why didn't I...? Sasuke and you... Here. Wow, I am officially scarred for life! Thanks for that visual...! Not that I'm not happy for you, of course!" Tenten added quickly. "About time you got together, after all! But... In the hospital? Really? Not that it's any of my... I'll just go, actually. You... Carry on."

Tenten slammed the door shut behind her again, very eager to escape what she thought she'd just been witness to.

"What was that about? Why did she run away?" Sakura was genuinely confused. Sasuke gave her a weird, you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me-look and turned a curious shade of pink.

"Just _think_, Sakura." He remarked gruffly and refused to meet her eye.

"Think about_ what_?" She bent her head down to continue her work. On his naked upper-thigh. Her head. His... "Oh Kami!" She snapped away from him and swivelled around in her chair, her face the colour of a tomato. "Did she think-? That we-? That _I_-?"

"..."

Sakura turned to face Sasuke again. They made awkward eye-contact for a second before both of them averted their eyes, embarrassed.

"How about I finish this up, and then we never mention this again?"

"Agreed."

Sakura carried on with her work in torturous silence (though she could have sworn she heard Sasuke mutter something about icebergs when she put her chakra-infused palms to the stab wound).

* * *

_The fourth time, Sasuke doesn't want it to be a mistake – and neither does Sakura._

"Fuck, if that ain't the finest piece of ass I've ever seen."

"Yeah, ya got that right, bro. What I wouldn't do to nail that...!"

Sakura struggled to keep the pleasant smile on her face. They were just two very drunk, young, civilian men after all; they weren't worth the trouble, especially not tonight. Tonight she, along with Sasuke, Naruto and Sai, were supposed to relax and have fun – they hadn't managed to get together all four of them due to their constant conflicting schedules, for over a month. While waiting for Sasuke who was running late, Naruto and Sai went to get them a round of drinks and she had occupied a table. The table right next to the two drunk men.

"Could do with a bigger rack, though." One of the men remarked, making the other crack up with laughter.

"And a smaller forehead, that thing is fuckin' _huge_!"

"How cares? I'd still bang her senseless."

Sakura was just about to turn around and punch the living daylights out of the two of them when she sighted Sasuke making his way over. A very pissed Sasuke. Heading, not for her, but the guys next to her.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shot out of her chair and put herself between the men and him. She placed her hands on his chest, fully intent on keeping him from killing someone. "Let it go. It's not worth it." She conveniently neglected to mention she had been about to do the same just a few seconds ago; but she could afford to, Sasuke on the other hand? Even after almost five years back, his status as a ninja was still questioned by a majority of the inhabitants. Seemingly unprovoked violence would not look good for him.

Sakura had stopped his pursuit, but Sasuke did not take his now Sharingan-red eyes off them.

"Shit!" One of the men exclaimed in terrified shock. He leaned forward to talk to his companion, his voice only marginally lowered. "D'ya have any idea how close we just was to dying?"

"Fuck you talkin' 'bout?"

"That's fucking Uchiha! Uchiha! And we trash talked his girl."

"Uchiha?" The other male paled considerably. "Shit."

They turned to the fuming Sasuke and the annoyed Sakura.

"Ah man, we meant no disrespect to ya girlfriend," the two men nodded in unison. One of them continued. "She's smokin', is all. Not that we care! Or noticed!" He hastily clarified when Sasuke narrowed his eyes threateningly. "Dude, just... Cheers!" Both of them drowned their glasses quickly and hastily retreated.

"The fuck did he hear us?"

"Dunno, man, just keep walkin' before he change his fuckin' mind."

Sasuke was still glaring daggers after them. Sakura didn't let her hands drop until they were completely out of sight. Neither of them moved away from the other.

"Really, Sasuke, let it go. They're just two idiots. Idiots I would have been more than capable of taking care of myself for that matter."

His eyes finally stopped bleeding red, at least. "I know."

Sakura let out a small laugh. "Good, otherwise I might have been forced to remind you."

"Hn," was Sasuke's only answer. He slowly turned his attention back to Sakura. His dark eyes met her light, green ones.

"It was sweet of you, nonetheless." She smiled gently, acutely aware of how close they were standing.

"Sweet?" Sasuke frowned, that had obviously not been his intention. "I was about to put them under a genjutsu so powerful they would have lost their minds."

"I know." She swallowed thickly and let out a breezy laugh to cover it up. "Funny how they thought I was your girlfriend, though. Again. Ridiculous, like we..." She trailed off when she realized Sasuke was staring at her intently, a dark look in his eye.

"No." He said. "That's not funny at all."

And then he kissed her. He was neither gentle nor harsh, but surprisingly passionate, almost _hungry_. Once she overcame her initial shock, Sakura responded with equal fervour, pressing herself closer to him, sneaking one hand up to his dark hair. She felt his hands encircle her waist, squeezing almost painfully; not that she cared in the slightest. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, a fever travelled through her blood, spreading from their connected lips to the tips of her fingers. She felt his hands move from her waist up to her hair until they, finally, gently cradled her face.

They broke apart, both out-of-breath, even though Sasuke was slightly better at hiding it than her. Neither spoke, nor broke eye-contact.

A hearty chuckle next to them broke the spell.

At the table Sakura had abandoned earlier sat Naruto and Sai with drinks in hand, a huge grin was present on Naruto's face. He rose his glass to them in salute.

"Well," he took a large gulp of his drink and sighed happily in contentment. "It was about bloody time; two more days and I would have lost the bet."

* * *

**The end**

Well, that was Sasuke/Sakura, next up is Naruto/Hinata. Brace yourselves.


	2. Love

__**Author's Note: **Due to recent manga developments that threw me waaaaay off track, both good and bad, (those of you who have read the manga, know what I'm talking about), this chapter took forever to write and get right.

_Three times Hinata tells Naruto she loves him. The forth time, he beats her to it._

**Love**

_The first time, she was certain it would be her last words._

It was not supposed to be like this.

Devastation.

Death.

Destruction.

It was not supposed to _end _like this. Not for them, not for the world.

Not for _him._

Hinata watch in despair how the enemy had captured Naruto. Taunting him. Torturing him. Impaled him. Imprisoned him. Naruto, the light in her pitiful life. If he was killed... If he died... Hinata couldn't bear the thought of a world without Naruto in it. The world needed him.

_She_ needed him.

So she had no choice, really. She had to do what she could, no matter how little. She was too selfish to endure, or even imagine, a world without him in it. Her resolve strengthened, her heartbeat – which had been beating erratically for the last hour – slowed, an eerie calm enveloped her, rage at the enemy, rage at the world, coursed through her veins. She loved him, and if her life was the cost to keep Naruto alive, then it wasn't even a proper choice.

Before anyone could stop her, she threw herself down to the battleground. Placing herself in front of the only man she had ever loved. To face an enemy she had no hope of defeating. To protect _him._

_Naruto._

"I won't let you lay another finger on Naruto!" She spat out at the man calling himself Pain.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto was livid. "Get out of here – you are no match-"

"I know..." She interrupted him. "I'm... Just being selfish..."

"What are you talking about!? What are you doing here? It's dangerous!" Naruto sounded desperate and unbelievably angry. Had it been any other time, Hinata would have backed down. Not this time, though.

"I'm here of my own free will. I used to cry and always give up," she tried to explain. She wanted him to understand why she was doing this. Why she _needed _to do this. She told him of how he inspired her, how he changed her, how his smile had saved her. "So I'm not afraid to die protecting you! Because I -" She hesitated for only a second. "I love you."

With those last word she flung herself at Pain with every intention of doing as much damage as she could in as little time as possible. She was overpowered easily, but it didn't matter. She would die protecting the man she loved.

She couldn't think of a better way to go.

* * *

_The second time, it is only a confirmation to his question._

It was a beautiful fall day. The leaves had turned lovely shades of orange, red and yellow. The sun still provided some warmth against the chilly winds that traveled through Konoha. Fall, Hinata decide as she walked down an alley towards the market, was her favorite season. She especially loved the colors; orange, after all, had been her favorite color by default for years and years. And, in the fall, she had a legit reason to show Naruto some small fraction of her love by giving him a carefully selected gift for his birthday. His birthday that was only a week away. She hadn't yet decided what she was going to give him; every birthday gift since the war ended four years ago, proved to be more and more difficult to select. Coupons for free Ramen was sure to be appreciated, but it didn't really say what she wanted to say. But she couldn't give him something too fancy and elaborate either...

"Hey, Hinata, wait up!"

"Naruto," Hinata greeted faintly, feeling the color rise in her cheeks. She wondered if she would ever outgrow her blushing, as she (almost) had her stuttering.

"Are you going to the market?" he asked with his usual friendly smile – nothing that should have made her heartbeat uneven, if only for a second, but it did. He always did. She nodded, a smile growing on her face too.

"Great! So am I, I'm meeting Sakura and Sasuke for lunch," he fell into step beside her. "I'm twenty minutes late already, but who cares? Anything to spare me that weird, awkward tension they have going on!" He shuddered. "If _I _notice, it must be pretty damn bad!"

Hinata giggled at that, it was the truth after all; Naruto was notoriously oblivious. Which she herself was painfully aware of.

He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Anyway, what are you up to? It feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

Hinata ducked her head to hide her ever-present blush. She didn't think he would have noticed, sure they did see each other regularly when the Rookie 9 (13, counting her cousin, Tenten, Lee and Sai) hung out together; but they were never alone, just the two of them. "I got home from a mission in Grass yesterday."

"Really? Was it awesome?" Naruto asked with infectious enthusiasm. Hinata caught herself telling him not only about the mission itself (a dull, diplomatic one on behalf of her clan), but also about the people she had met, particularly about a noble-man's son who had paid an uncomfortable amount of attention to her.

"- but I didn't want to seem rude, so by the fifth day I tried to avoid him instead."

"Didn't want to seem...? Hinata, he tried to grope you, more than once! You should have broken his neck, or at the very least, his hands!" Naruto very adamantly told her, a frown marring his otherwise sunny expression.

"I, um..." Hinata hesitated, her blush coming back in hundred-fold. "I actually, _accidentally _of course, happened to step on his toes every time he asked me to dance."

Naruto stopped in his tracks and only looked at her with eyes wide. Then he broke down in an honest, booming laugh that warmed Hinata to her core. He flung his arm around her shoulders and resumed their walking. "Accidentally stepped on his toes... Man..." He snorted again.

Hinata bit her own lip to keep from laughing herself, she had felt awful about the way she'd behaved, even though he might have deserved it. But, she realized, maybe she didn't have to feel too bad about it, not if Naruto approved of her actions. Not if it made him put his arm around her... She couldn't help but notice how she fitted perfectly under his arm and by his side, which made her blush for the umpteenth time.

They walked in companionable silence for a while, broken only by Naruto's occasional chuckle. He didn't remove his arm until they arrived in front of a restaurant, his apparent destination.

He peered through the window, looking for something. "Ah, like I thought" he said. He nodded towards two persons huddled together in a booth by the back of the restaurant. Sakura and Sasuke were apparently sharing a menu and sitting awfully close to one another for it to be entirely casual. Hinata thought they looked quite adorable, a wistful countenance settled over her delicate features as she witnessed how Sakura laughed at something Sasuke said.

Naruto watched the couple with a wry smile, but kept sneaking glances at Hinata from the side. Contemplative glances that for some reason made her incredibly nervous.

At last, she couldn't hold it anymore. "Is... Is something the matter? Aren't you going to join them?"

Naruto opened his mouth seemingly to answer, but closed it again. Twice. By the third time, Hinata was worried; Naruto was never tongue-tied – he always had something to say. "Naruto?"

"Do you..." He hesitated yet again. "Five years ago, when Pain attacked, do you remember what you said to me?"

Hinata turned to face him with a speed that would have made any ninja in the village proud.

"I totally understand if you don't, it was ages ago. I just... I never... But I've been thinking about it. Sometimes." Naruto grew more and more awkward in his speech. Hinata's heart picked up and accelerated. He was obviously uncomfortable that she didn't immediately answer him. "I've been meaning to talk to you sooner, especially after the battle with Obito and Madara... But there was never time, and I guess you've forgotten anyway, so it doesn't matter. You know what?" He said embarrassed with a grimace that made his whisker-marks distort. "Forget I said anything. It was real nice seeing you, Hinata."

It wasn't until he turned to leave, Hinata found her courage and her voice again. "I love you," she blurted out. She hastily continued. "That's what I said to you, five years ago."

"Yeah," Naruto turned to face her again, his face uncharacteristically unreadable. "Did you mean it? No one has ever... I just want... I just need to know if you meant it."

Hinata felt her face turn the color of Sakura's trademark dress. She looked down at her shoes. "I would never lie to you, or ever forget that day." She slowly rose her gaze until they locked with sky-blue. She swallowed noticeably. "I meant every word."

"Despite..." She saw Naruto put a hand, almost self consciously, over his seal on his stomach. He let his hand drop to his side when he saw her looking.

Hinata forced herself to meet his eyes unflinchingly. She needed to be brave, for him. "I'm sad you think so poorly of me, to even believe for a second I would care."

"Okay." Naruto's mouth transformed into a lop-sided grin. "Okay."

"Yes," Hinata took a deep breath, desperately trying to get her heartbeat and her terribly flushed face under control again. She was way out of her comfort zone, and was afraid she would faint unless she somehow manged to flee the scene. "Well, I should be going. Good-day, Naruto."

"Are you hungry?" He asked before she had time to make a hasty retreat.

"I – yes," Hinata answered truthfully, completely caught off guard.

"Great! Let's go!"

"G-go?" She repeated bewildered. "What about your teammates?"

"They won't even notice I'm gone." Naruto rolled his eyes. He put his arm casually around her shoulders again, making a small, very embarrassing gasp escape her. Together they made their way over to Ichiraku's; Naruto excitedly telling a positively beaming Hinata about a spar he'd had earlier in the day with Rock Lee. This moment, Hinata decided then and there, was worth five years of silence.

And fall was _definitely _her favorite season of the year.

* * *

_The third time, he wasn't supposed to have heard her._

Hinata clapped along with every one else as Naruto donned the Hokage Robes for the first time. Her face was split in an uncharacteristic wide grin, she was so happy and proud she felt tears fill her eyes. The last four months had been the happiest of her life. After their accidental, serendipitous meeting that fall day, they had met up more and more often – to talk, eat and train. Hinata thought she would have been content with just that. And she was.

Until he kissed her three weeks ago.

They had been training taijutsu, and Naruto had managed (after considerable effort) to pin Hinata between a tree and his own body. He had stared at her for three long seconds before he purposefully had leaned in and given her a chaste kiss.

"I win," he had said with a crooked smile and backed off like nothing unusual had happened.

Hinata had, predictably, only turned a deep magenta, but secretly wished he'd do it again. (He had, an hour later when they reached her house. Needless to say, their usual good-bye had grown considerably longer since then.)

Now, Hinata could hardly imagine what it was like; when she had been content with only observing him from a distance.

Sakura and Ino suddenly turned up on either side of the reminiscing Hinata and hugged her, efficiently breaking the girl from her thoughts. With a small, happy laugh she hugged them back fiercely.

Nothing could diminish her happiness at this moment.

"A scandal, that's what it is!" Right in front of the three women stood two older ladies with crossed arms, demonstratively not clapping along with the crowd. The smaller of the two was voicing her obvious dislike. "A scandal!"

The larger one nodded. "Putting that – that... _Man_ in charge of our revered village, it's sacrilegious!"

Hinata gasped. How dared they?

"My ancestors are turning in their graves, I can feel it!" The older women continued mercilessly.

"Oh, no." Sakura and Ino exchanged a worried, although furious, look as Hinata took a deep breath and stepped over to the old ladies.

"He'll slay us in our sleep, oh my poor grandchildren!"

"Excuse me?" Hinata said politely, only a slight edge in her voice betraying her cool. "But I would appreciate if you did not speak ill of our esteemed Hokage."

"Esteemed...? Oh, you poor child," the smaller woman said to Hinata. She turned to her friend. "Listen to her, she is obviously confused! Further proof of that _thing's _influence, I tell you."

"I assure you," Hinata said, venom dripping from her voice. "I am most certainly _not _confused."

"This is not good..." Ino said with a wince.

"No," Sakura agreed quietly. "They'll be killed."

"And I really would like for you to keep your opinions to yourselves," Hinata continued, ignoring the two girls behind her. "Please."

"Now, you listen to me girl," the smaller one said with narrowed eyes. "I will say whatever I wish about that... That _monster -"_

Sakura and Ino face-palmed simultaneously.

"Did they just call Naruto...?"

"Looks like it."

"To _Hinata's _face?"

"Yeah."

"They are so dead."

"Monster?" Hinata hissed. Veins protruded around her eyes in an instant. "You call the hero of our village a _monster_?"

"Hero!" The two women scoffed. "That demon..."

"Yes, _hero_. If it wasn't for Naruto you would be dead, the village would be nothing but ruins and the world would have perished! He saved us all," her voice steadily rose during her speech. "He is a hero, a true hero, kyuubi or no. You do not deserve to look at him, even less talk bad about him." She narrowed her pale eyes to small slits. She was a true sight to behold in her righteous fury. "I will _not _stand by quietly when _anyone _say _anything_ bad about the man I love. Is that understood?"

To her grim satisfaction the two women straightened up and looked apologetic and very much frightened.

"H-Hokage-sama," the larger one stammered and bowed low. The other quickly followed suit. "We never..."

Hinata whirled around, her anger replaced by embarrassment and shock.

"Go," Naruto dismissed them without another glance. Sakura and Ino smirked from beside him.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," Hinata looked down at her feet. "I didn't mean to lose my temper."

Naruto's face split into a wide grin as he grabbed her around the waist and spun her around with a sound of pure joy. "Sorry? Who wants to be sorry on a day like this? I'm Hokage, and you are the most amazing person I've ever met! Who cares about them?"

Without further ado, Naruto put Hinata on her feet again and captured her lips with his own.

* * *

_The forth time, Naruto beats her to it. _

"Freedom at last!" Naruto exclaimed when he and Hinata crossed over Konoha's borders. "Don't get me wrong, being Hokage is beyond awesome! I just never thought it would keep me _that_ cooped up in the village doing paper-work... Even this super boring state business mission thing is better than staying indoors one more day. I am getting seriously behind on my hard-earned skills and training – Kibabeat me yesterday. _Kiba_!"

Hinata gave him a fond look and a smile. She was a bit surprised he had actually managed to go without any field-work and missions for over three months, and still been able to keep the whining to an absolute bare minimum. He had come a long way from the boy she had first fallen in love with all those years ago.

"And," he continued, "I couldn't have had a better partner for this mission than you. Thank you, for wanting to come with me."

Ignoring the warmth she felt coloring her cheeks, she shyly took his hand – he was usually the one to initiate any kind of physical contact between them. She still felt awkward, self-conscious and completely awed he would actually welcome any of her advances, no matter how small. "I will always want to come with you."

"I know," he replied with a particular look in his eyes Hinata still hadn't been able to decipher, even though it had been more and more frequent the last couple of weeks. She wasn't completely clueless; she knew what it maybe, possibly could mean, but she didn't dare to hope. A small kiss on her forehead interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at Naruto, who had a most mischievous smile on his face. "Race you to the camping-site!"

And he was off, up in the tree-tops. Hinata laughed, but was hot on his trail, never losing sight of him.

In the end it was a tie; to celebrate, Naruto declared they must kiss. "I am your Hokage you know, so it would be very unwise to refuse."

"Indeed," Hinata agreed solemnly. "I imagine it would damage my career greatly to slight my superior in such a way."

"Yes, and who knows what a rejected and heartbroken person of immense power such as myself might do then? War is my best guess."

Hinata couldn't quite stifle her giggles anymore. "Well, I don't believe I have a choice then."

"Nope," Naruto said gleefully. "You are far too sweet to have an entire war on your conscience."

Hinata was dimly aware that their behavior might not be entirely appropriate during a mission, but she also noted, as Naruto's lips touched her own, that she did not care in the slightest.

A small, almost undetectable sound made them both break apart instantly alarmed.

Hinata blocked several tiny weapons aimed for her head.

Senbons.

"Well, well, well," a voice said in an easy drawl from behind them. "Isn't this sweet?"

In less then a second, Naruto and Hinata stood back to back, ready to fight if necessary; Naruto with the beginnings of a Rasengan in his hands, Hinata scanning their surroundings with her Byakugan, a small tendril of blood running down her hand, from where a senbon had managed to graze her skin. The man who had spoken was tall and broad-shouldered, maybe in his early twenties, a mask covered half his face. He juggled a kunai lazily in his hand. "They are so cute, don't you agree? Kissing like they don't have a care in the world."

From the trees came more than two dozen men and women, laughing and jostling, leering at the couple they quickly had surrounded.

"Like they have nothing to fear." The man cackled.

"Six of them can wield chakra," Hinata said in a low murmur to Naruto, her voice oddly slurred. "But only the leader and the woman at his side are potential threats, the rest won't last two minutes."

A women next to the man in charge smiled a bloodthirsty grin. "I guess we will have to teach them a lesson then."

Naruto did something then that probably none of the attackers expected. He barked out a hearty laugh. "I would like to see you try. No, seriously, I would!"

The woman stopped smiling abruptly. "His eyes..."

"Oh," the man said and let the kunai he previously was juggling, stop dead in his hand. "Seems like we just hit jackpot. Here I thought we were finally lucky enough to run into a girl with the remarkable Hyuga eyes; turns out we ran into a Hyuga canoodling with the Hokage."

Hinata felt her vision starting to slightly blur, her limbs feeling heavier than before. Slurred speech, blurred vision, fatigue...

Poison.

"Yeah, aren't you lucky?" Naruto remarked, his amusement poorly concealed. "I don't mean to brag – no, actually I do – but we are recognized as the two of the strongest ninja in the nation, probably the world. So tell me, how exactly are you planning to not die?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" The man exclaimed excited.

Hinata deactivated her byakugan to preserve her chakra, mentally running through every possible poison she knew about. She was already showing symptoms – which meant it was a fast-acting one, and extremely potent, considering it had barely grazed her.

"If you don't want the girlie to die a very unpleasant death," the woman said, her feral smile never leaving her face, "you really should consider surrendering."

"Please, she could kick all of your asses without my help."

Pride swelled up inside of Hinata, warming her spirit. Aside from deactivating her byakugan, she had not made the slightest indication to show her rapid deterioration. She was still battle ready, her body still stood firmly with only the tiniest tremble.

The man smirked. "Not for very long. You see, my friend Hokage, your Hyuga is dying as we speak. Megumi here," he gave a nod to the woman. "Is quite accomplished with drugs and poisons. If you know what I'm saying." He laughed cruelly. "And I think you do. Don't you, Hokage?"

As if in confirmation, Hinata made an involuntary strangled sound from the back of her throat. The effort of holding herself up was quickly becoming too much. Her head was swimming. She sank to her knees. She had a nagging feeling she was missing something large... Something important. Something they had said.

"What the hell did you do?" Naruto shouted, enraged. Hinata felt how his chakra was flaring almost uncontrollably."You will die for this!"

"Uh-uh, none of that. You do want her to live, don't you?" The male said. "Come with us, and I swear Megumi will give her the antidote and send her on her way."

Hinata struggled to speak. "D-don't... Listen."

"Actually," the woman, Megumi, said. "I think we will pick up the girl, and trust you to follow. You will follow us willingly then, won't you Blondie? For her."

"No," Hinata's protest was but a faint whisper. Slowly she turned her now unseeing eyes toward the man she loved. "N-Naruto, don't fo-... Follow. Don't."

"You're right," Naruto said quietly. "I will."

"No!" Hinata said, her distress making her voice stronger. She had a suspicion she couldn't shake... If only her head would cooperate!_ A girl with the remarkable Hyuga eyes_. _Finally lucky enough_. Finally. Hyuga eyes.

They wanted her eyes.

They needed her alive.

They wouldn't risk her l-

"I love her."

The world as Hinata knew it came to a stop. Everything fell silent, if only for an instant.

She dimly felt a pressure on her cheek, lighter than a butterfly's kiss.

"But know this; she dies – you die." A promise, not a threat.

Hinata summoned the last of her strength and with a harsh cry flung a kunai she had hidden in her pouch straight towards the hateful woman. A sharp shriek told her she hadn't missed. "I'm not dying."

...

When she regained her senses again, she lay down on a cot in an unfamiliar room. Her eyes and limbs still felt heavy, but other than that it seemed the drug had done no damage. It also seemed more and more likely it had been a simple sleeping drug of some kind. The door slid open to reveal a smiling Naruto.

"Hey."

Hinata tried to sit up, but mostly managed to make herself terribly dizzy. A strong hand on her back steadied her.

"Easy," Naruto said as he helped her to an upright position. He poured water from a pitcher before sitting down on the bed by her side.

"What... Oh, thank you," Hinata accepted the offered glass of water with a grateful smile. She took a few careful sips before continuing. "What happened?" She gasped as a sudden thought struck her. "Are we prisoners?"

Naruto quirked a brow and took a look around. "A prison that locks from the inside with two beds and a private bathroom? Shouldn't be too hard for us to break out if that's the case."

"Right," Hinata ducked her head embarrassed. She realized now her thought might have been a bit irrational.

"Not sure I'd even want to break out from this place, to be honest. I have absolutely everything I need right here." He brushed back a lock of her from her face with a brilliant smile. "Don't think anyone else would be too happy, though. I still kinda have a village to run..."

Hinata smiled softly. "And the village needs you."

"I wouldn't really say need," Naruto scratched the back of his head, a huge grin on his face. "It's more like they're stuck with me until some other fool is stupid enough to want the job. Which I happen to wish won't be for a long while. I like being Hokage, paper-work be damned!"

"No," Hinata took his hand earnestly in her own. "The village really does need you. Far more than it needs me." She took a deep breath. "Which is why you must promise me, to never jeopardize your life for my sake again."

Naruto took a firmer hold of her hands. "No."

Hinata was so shocked she only managed to blink.

"Would you promise _me _to never put _your_ life at risk for me?"

"That's not the same, people need you more than they need me," Hinata protested.

"What about what I need? What about what I want?" Naruto never broke his eye-contact. "_I_ need you. I have risked my life for complete strangers, it's what I do; it's who I am. Why wouldn't I do the same for the most precious person in my life?"

Hinata didn't have an answer; at least none that wouldn't make her a hypocrite. "But earlier..."

"Those low-lives? Didn't take me five minutes to take out all of them," Naruto smiled confidently. "I'm not a complete idiot, Hinata. I knew that even though they said they would keep you alive, they most probably wouldn't. Why poison somebody and then keep an antidote on your own person? That's just... Stupid. Which is why I needed to take them out as soon as possible and get you to a healer. When I supposedly surrendered I was in fact summoning my clones – piece of cake after that! Especially since you distracted them pretty damn good by that kunai throw – they didn't see that one coming, that's for sure!"

Hinata's cheek turned slightly pink. "Naruto, I-"

"I love you," Naruto interrupted her hastily. "Just wanted to say it first, for once."

Hinata glowed, her whole face radiating devotion.

"Aaaaand, on that note, I think we should sleep," Naruto declared, suddenly embarrassed. "It's late, and we have a big, boring, diplomatic day tomorrow." He removed his jacket and shoes, and threw them haphazardly on the other floor. "So scoot, I am dead beat."

Hinata complied, her heart beating a mile a minute. She couldn't decide whether to be disappointed or relieved when he only drew her close to his side and then promptly fell asleep. She looked up at his face, serene and relaxed in sleep, and settled for simply ecstatic that he was next to her; her whom he had said he loved.

There would be more nights.

Plenty more nights.

**End of part Two.**

****Next up is Shikamaru and Ino, and they are going to kiss three times before they get it right...


	3. Kiss

Am I late in publishing this chapter? Pft, only five months or so.

Anyway... My spell check died half way through this, I apologize if I missed anything.

* * *

_Three times Ino and Shikamaru kiss for the wrong reasons. The forth time they actually get it right._

**Kiss**

_The first time, it was only an experiment._

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Ino asked as she plopped down next to the boy sitting under the cherry tree. She was bored out of her mind and figured bothering Shikamaru was a great way to fix that.

"Watching clouds."

"Oh, really? How interesting!" Ino gasped loudly. "I had _no _idea you liked to just sit around doing nothing!"

"Not doing nothing; watching clouds."

"Uh-huh, that is so fascinating," Ino clutched the front of her shirt theatrically. "Tell me more about these white things in the sky!"

"Ino," Shikamaru said slowly, obviously trying not to sound as irritated as he really was. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm bo-ored," Ino whined, "I have absolutely nothing to do! Everybody's busy doing boring things, and I don't _do _boring. I never thought school break could be so... Boring!"

"That doesn't answer my question, Ino. What are you doing _here_?"

Ino bit her lip and watched him wide-eyed with innocence. "Looking for company?"

Shikamaru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but be quiet."

"Yay!" Ino cheered victorious; she knew he was a sucker for that look. She scooted just a little closer, finding a more comfortable spot to lean against.

They sat a while in silence.

"Do you think Sasuke likes me?"

"Ino," Shikamaru growled in warning.

"Sorry," Ino apologized. Then spoke up again. "Do you think I'm the prettiest girl in class?"

"_Ino_! If you can't shut up, go somewhere else!" He sounded annoyed, but when Ino sneaked a peek at him, she could have sworn he was the faintest of pink.

"Sorry," she said again, not really sorry at all. An idea took form in her head. An idea Shikamaru would most certainly _not _approve of, at least not without a little coaxing. She stole a glance at him for the second time, watching his scowl slowly disappear from his face. She hesitated. He looked relaxed and carefree, which made him _almost _handsome... But she _was_ still bored. And, she must admit, curious.

"Can you kiss me?"

Shikamaru fell sideways of the tree. He looked at her, utterly horrified. "What?"

"I said," Ino repeated. "Can you-"  
"I heard what you said, Ino!" Shikamaru sputtered and righted himself again, but didn't move back to his original position, which had been a lot closer to her. "Why would you say that?"

Ino pouted and crossed her arms. "Don't you want to?"

"No!"

Ino had fully expected this, and therefore schooled her features into a mask of dejection. She looked down to her lap. "Oh... I just thought..." She trailed off.

"Thought what?" Shikamaru asked when she didn't elaborate.

"Well, we graduate in a month," Ino said, still not looking at him. "If I am killed on my first mission, I would have liked to have been kissed. At least just once."

Shikamaru groaned and hid his face in his palms. "You do realize the statistics of you dying on the very first mission is slim to none, right?"

"But there is still a chance!" Ino protested. "Do you really want to be responsible for me dying totally unkissed?"

"Why would that be my fault?"

"Because I have no one else to ask!" Ino said hotly. Not strictly true, but he was the easiest and most convenient choice. "So?"

"No," Shikamaru said and leaned back against the tree trunk again. "Too troublesome."

"Please, Shikamaru?" Ino said pleadingly. "I just want to know what it's like! Don't you? Aren't you curious?"

"Not particularly, no," Shikamaru said, pointedly ignoring to look at her.

"Fine," Ino said and pulled out her trump card. "I guess I'll have to ask Reizo Kijima then, instead."

"What? Are you out of your mind?" Shikamaru snapped at her. Reizo Kijima was five years older than them and Ino's very handsome neighbor; his parents owned an expensive shoe shop that was immensely popular among Konoha's elite. Reizo was always seen with a new girl every other day; it was said he had broken more hearts than Sasuke Uchiha. Personally, Ino thought he was disgusting, not to mention _old, _but Shikamaru didn't need to know that.

She made a show of moving to stand up. Shikamaru's hand shot out and grabbed her arm.

"There is no way I can talk you out of this?"

"No," Ino struggled to keep a triumphant smile of her face. "I'm afraid not."

Shikamaru took a deep breath before leaning forward. Ino leaned forward too, her heart picking up in pace. Which was weird, since she wasn't nervous. Her eyes flickered down to his lips. Nope, not nervous at all.

Ino had hardly time to register Shikamaru's lips on her own before he pulled away just as quickly.

"There, happy?" He grumbled, his face burning. He assumed his earlier position, and glared viciously at the sky.

Ino smiled, her lips tingling ever so slightly, and reclined too. "For now."

* * *

_The second time, it was only an act of comfort._

The sun was shining brightly, no matter how much Ino wanted it to rain. It should be raining; the world should be weeping too. Not just her.

Her sensei, Asuma, was dead.

Dead.

Never coming back.

The funeral had been a blur of tears and mumbled words. Ino had not heard a thing anyone had said. She had only seen the broken figure of Kurenai, shattered to a million pieces that would never fit exactly right again. The impossibly strong and proud sweetheart of Ino's teacher and mentor, reduced to a shadow of her true self. Would she ever feel whole again?

Would Ino herself? At that moment, it didn't feel like anything could ever be like it was again. This was her first encounter with death, and she had been horribly unprepared.

The tears wouldn't stop.

Ino had clung desperately to Choji for what felt like forever, until he gently pried her smaller form from him, apologizing quietly. He had then engulfed Kurenai instead, rocking the older women in his sure embrace and patting her back. The sight made Ino's tears come even faster. She practically fled the scene, not really caring where she ended up. She only needed to escape. From everything. From pain, sorrow and tears.

She found Shikamaru without knowing she had been looking for him. He sat motionless by a shogi board; he didn't even look up when Ino's shadow fell over him. She sat down next to him without her usual grace.

"Is it over?"

"It's over."

Ino fell into his arms with a quiet sob; in response, he almost crushed her to him, but she didn't care. She trusted him to keep her from falling apart, trusted him to keep her whole. She didn't know whom of them first initiated the desperate, searing kiss; she only knew it was the first time since Asuma's death, she didn't feel like she was standing by an endless abyss, waiting for it to swallow her.

It wasn't a perfect kiss, neither was it meant to be. But it was what they needed to gain the strength to rise again. To exact revenge.

They never mentioned the kiss again. But they never forgot either.

* * *

_The third time, it was only part of a mission._

Ino slunk quietly through the shadows of the unlit corridor, mindful of not making any noise. Shikamaru was just ahead, two paces in front of her. They had successfully infiltrated an enormous estate in Earth Country where a diamond smuggler had supposedly taken up residence. At least if the information Sakura and Sasuke had extracted from an earlier mission was correct.

Well, Ino thought wryly to herself, if she was filthy rich, she would probably get at castle too. Because that's what it looked like; it was a huge stone building complete with towers and everything. The surrounding grounds were no less impressive with a massive forest and a courtyard full of statues and grand fountain in the middle. Too bad for the owner that all the extra luxury provided perfect cover, and made it riddiculously easy for professionals, like them, to get in.

Shikamaru stopped suddenly just before the hallway made a 90 degree turn, bringing them both to a halt. He cursed softly under his breath.

"What?"

"More guards. Heading this way."

Ino bit her tongue to keep herself from cursing too. Not that the guards would be a problem for them to take out, but because the Hokage had emphasised how important it was for stealth. Their mission was to infiltrate the building, capture the target without engaging in battle and bring him to a location a couple of miles from there where he would, discreetly, be taken into custody. The diamond smuggler was a well-known public figure, and a messy retrieval could potentially damage the chances of putting him on trial. Not to mention, at any sign of battle, he was sure to make his escape like he had every other time anyone had tried to make a grab at him.

"Troublesome." That was the only warning Ino got before Shikamaru smashed his lips on top of her own. It was so unexpected, so out of character, so out of place, she only gasped against his lips at first. He froze instantly, withdrawing half a breath. Her lips tingled slightly from his kiss.

Their eyes locked. In the same instant she heard a faint noice from the direction of the approaching guards, and her mind made the connection to the impromptu kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, drawing him down to her level again. She told herself her heart only accelerated when their lips met again because she was anxious about the approching enemies. His arms went around her waist as he backed her up against the wall. The kiss was aggressive, passionate and rough; all tongue and teeth biting down on lips. A faint stubble on his face scratched her chin none too gently, sending shiver after shiver down her spine. A large hand caressed her back underneath her shirt. A small moan, almost a wimper, escaped her throat without her intention. The sound made Shikamaru tighten his hold on her even further. Ino didn't ever want to stop.

"Hey!" The sudden shout brought them back to reality; again their eyes met. Shikamaru gazed at her with eyes darkened by something she didn't dare analyze at that moment. He gave her a last quick kiss at the corner of her mouth. He turned his head towards the intruders, but did not back away from her. Effectively keeping her trapped between him and the wall. Which was perhaps lucky, since she wasn't sure her legs would support her weight at that moment.

"Do you mind?" Shikamaru said clearly annoyed. His voice was deeper than usual, almost husky. Ino took the oppurtunity to place her lips on his neck, sucking gently, thus making sure the guards knew _exactly _what they were intruding upon. She tried to ignore the thrill she got from feeling his pulse speed up even further from under her lips. "It's my first holiday in weeks, and I intend to fully enjoy every single second. If you catch my drift..."

She heard snickers from some of the guards, and sure enough, from the corner of her eye she could see them exchanging large grins. They were in luck; the guards were all quite young and all male. She scoffed inwardly.

One of the guards whistled as he tried to get a better look at her. "Where did you find that fine piece of ass?"

Shikamaru turned his attention back to Ino, dismissing them. He ran his fingers down her cheek. "... Around. Now if you gentlemen excuse us..." He took a step back and placed his arm around her waist again, before he began to lead her down the way the guards had come from.

Ino let out the most empty-headed giggle she could muster and attached herself to his side. "You naughty boy!"

"Well, when you're done with her," a guard shouted after them, "send her to us, will'ya?"

A roar of laughter broke out behind them, as Shikamaru tightened his hold on her almost painfully. When they rounded another corner he stopped and hastily released her. Ino found herself feeling suddenly cold.

"Ino-"

"Don't," Ino interrupted with a forced smile. "It was our best shoot at getting away without bloodshed and it payed off. It meant nothing."

Shikamaru briskly resumed walking, looking pointedly ahead and not at her.

"Right," he said. "Nothing."

"Nothing," Ino whispered again, mostly to convince herself it was true.

* * *

_The fourth time, it actually meant something._

"Well?" Shikamaru said, his eyebrow raised in question, hands in his pockets as he leaned against his desk. "I thought you said you wanted to talk. So talk."

Ino realized she must seem like an idiot. She had raced up to him when he emerged from the Hokage Tower, claiming she wanted, no _needed _to speak with him in private. He had only nodded once and returned back inside to his office, Ino following half a step behind like a lost puppy. But when the door had closed behind them, silencing the noises from outside, Ino's mind had suddenly and inconveniently drawn a blank. She had only looked at him for several long awkward moments, unable to properly formulate what she wanted to say. Which lead to Shikamaru's impatient prompting.

"I don't like how we are," she began, but paused and frowned. "No, that's not what I meant. I do like how we are, it's one of the best things in my life, but... I don't like how things have been since... You know."

Their mission in Earth Country two weeks ago. When they kissed a bit too passionately to be considered even remotely platonic.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and looked away, but didn't say anything.

"Anyway, um... I ran into Sakura just now and I happened to tell her about it." More like she had stormed into Sakura's apartment, totally freaking out, spilling everthing about their kiss and how she couldn't stop thinking about it and that maybe, just maybe, she might actually be in love with her lazy, good-for-nothing team-mate. "The mission, I mean, and..." She trailed off when blue eyes met with unfathomable dark ones.

"And?" He said flatly.

"And I also mentioned our kiss, you know, just casually, no big deal," she suspected her breezy laugh sounded horribly fake; it was hardly even a laugh really, more like a strangled sound in the back of her throat. "And then she said the most ridiculus thing."

"What?" He asked in a low voice when Ino failed to continue.

Ino took a deep breath. This was it. "She said you have been in love with me for years, and I've just been too stupid and too self-absorbed to notice." The words came out in a rush, and as soon as she said it, she braced herself for his denial that was sure to come.

She saw him close his eyes and sigh heavily. He rubbed a hand against his forehead and muttered a familiar _troublesome _under his breath. Then he looked her in the eye again, a bittersweet smile on his face.

He said nothing. He denied nothing. He just looked her steadily in the eye.

Ino's mind was reeling. She crossed her arms around her waist to keep herself from... She didn't know honestly; shaking him until he said something or launching at him, kissing him senseless and never letting him go.

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said finally. He sounded annoyed, strangely enough. He continued before Ino had a chance to even open her mouth. "Yes, of course I'm in love with you; how could I not be? Yes, I've probably been in love with you since we were kids and you started bossing me around. Yes, I jeopardized a mission by making the choice of kissing you instead of retreating, just so I could get to feel, at least once, what it would be like to kiss you in real life. No, I don't regret it and no, how I feel won't get in the way of our friendship." He twisted his lips bitterly. Ino's heart constricted painfully at the sight, dimming her elation from his words. "I've managed this far after all. Yes, we can pretend the kiss and this conversation never happened, and go back to how it used to be."

Ino shook her head slowly. "You are the dumbest genius in the entire world." She took two steps closer until there was hardly any space between them, placing her hand delicatly over his heart. He watched her uncertainly, a wary look in his eyes. "I don't want to go back to how it used to be." She could feel his heart thumping steadily, if a bit faster than normal, under her palm. "Do you really think I, _Ino Yamanaka_, would have been this tongue-tied and awkward if I'd had nothing to lose? If I wasn't in love with you to the point of stupidity?" She scoffed, but couldn't keep a big, goofy, totally undignified, grin of her face anymore. "Now stop talking and kiss me already."

Shikamaru chuckled and caressed her cheek. "Always so bossy." He looked at her with such wonder, disbelief and a tenderness so great, Ino felt her breath catch and her heart soar.

He kissed her again. This time, it was finally for the right reasons.

* * *

**End of part three.**

Next time, Tenten and Neji will sleep in the same bed three times, well four... But the forth time not much actual sleeping is done.


End file.
